Heartbreak Hotel : Concubine

Acts and Tears

D e c e m b e r 26.

2:54 am

An eternity passed before I made a move. An eternity that cost me almost everything. I stood there, watching as the droplets of blood fell on the frost bitten grass. I witnessed as the tiny pool of redness was created and did nothing to stop it. The wind was long forgotten. My skin didn't even feel as the relentless winter weather turned for the worse. There was ringing in my ears. And a strong sense of sentiment that followed it. My blood stained hand was balled into a fist. That was the movement that snapped me back into reality. I blinked to shake away the snowflakes, looking around the darkness to see if there was anything else there. 

Anybody else who saw this gruesome scene. 

There was nobody there. 

The first thing that came to mind was to hide. And then the second to simply leave. Those choices were immediately thrown out the window once I saw the camera that was pointing right at me. 

They have a camera. It should've recorded what happened.

I looked around once more before taking my phone out of my pocket. 2:55 am. I didn't know how long I was standing there, nor how long it took me to finally grasp the reality. I was first one to be present at this crime scene and, unfortunately, the only one. The one and only person that I knew who was in this building, aside from the dead hostess, was that man. 

Swallowing a bile that was stuck in my throat, I wrecked my brain on what I should do next. There was no way out for me, and even if I did leave, my information was on that table. So was my face in the video recorded by the security cameras. They would find me in an instant. Especially because this hotel probably has connections with the mafia. I didn't question the girls on that, nor did I know anything besides the fact that they're in business because of their prostitutes. Staying here, like this, wasn't an option either. I had to find another way out.

To even greater misfortune that was following me today, a noise from inside the hotel tore my attention away. I instantly knew that I needed to buy myself time. Time to make win this case in my favor. With no further hesitation, I took in a few deep breaths. Quicker. Faster. Until it seemed like I was hyperventilating. I let my eyes dry in the wind until I felt the painful tears come.

And I screamed.

I screamed so that the whole block could hear me. Until all the air left my lungs. Choking on air, I sobbed, and screamed again. In seconds, a figure tore the door open. My vision was blurry, but I could make out who it was. How could I not? 

I coughed, feeling strong arms covering me and a tall figure blocking the view. Isaac brought me into his embrace. Through the thickness of the coat, I felt his heartbeat. It was anything but steady. Not long after, footsteps followed his outside. Several women and men came to the scene, several cries filled the air. Isaac walked me further into the darkness, away from the light, still holding me close to his chest. And I kept up the act. 

Throughout my sobbing, I felt his hands cover my cheeks and his fingers wipe away the frozen tears. To think that this man was f*****g me tirelessly merely a few scenes ago, was now holding me so close as if I was as fragile as glass. The murmurs of people's voices turned to shouts. Arguments flared and punches were thrown. The woman who was dead seemed to be loved by all. 

To save me further terror, as he thought, Isaac turned my head away to the other side. A whiff of his cologne made it up my nose. I choked again. But this time, my body took action instead of me. My stomach churned causing me to bend over. With one hand, I pushed at Isaac's chest and spilled my guts out. 

What the f**k did he put on himself? That s**t burns.

Isaac whipped out a napkin and wiped my mouth. He grabbed my arms and pulled me up, stabilizing me on my feet. I took a few breaths in. My eyes fell on the people surrounding us. All kinds of people. Not entirely shocking, but still a tad bit surprising. The women were partially clothed. There were even some clients who came down to see what was going on. 

Are the walls of this hotel soundproof? 

If that wasn't it, then I don't know how I didn't hear the pleasure sounds all the way to the reception desk. These people were hiding in plain sight. I couldn't have even guessed how many there were. But one thing was very odd. If they heard me, how come they didn't hear what was going on with this woman? She must've put up a fight. Judging by the wounds on her skin, arms and legs, I'd say she fought until her last breath. Whoever killed her, must've been very desperate on keeping her quiet. Or it was someone who had a certain set of skills. 

An assassin.

No. It couldn't be. Her body said otherwise. 

For a little longer, I pretended to be greatly affected by this discovery. But it was the shaky hand that kept touching my back that caused me to look up. Isaac was doing great to suppress his rage. His eyes were the ones that gave him away. That gleam of hatred and anger that every being feels when their loved ones are forcefully taken away from them. The need for revenge that fueled those emotions. I saw it all. I recognized it. 

The room went quiet. Several men dressed in black came out of the hotel. Following them was a woman. An older woman, who's attire and way of holding her posture spoke volumes. In the blink of an eye, the employees and customers grew quiet. The woman took a stand on the same spot where I was, her head tilted upwards, just like mine had been. She stared at the corpse. I stared at her back. I knew, it was obvious. She was the one who ran this place. She was the boss. She was the one pulling every single string in these people's lives. Power and elegance oozed from her. Her tall figure seemed to frighten every single being. They cowered away from her, hiding in the coat of blackness that the night sky was throwing. It was then that I also realized.

 I made the right choice. 

She turned around. Our eyes met. It felt like the mask I had put on for this show was completely torn off. I felt like she could see right through me. But I kept the act up. And I'll keep it up for as long as possible. Or so I thought. 

With a few long strides, she approached Isaac and me. The need to get away from this place grew even more. I held my breath. When she was only a few steps away from us, I let it out. Her voice boomed. Authority that was there from the start, bore its teeth right into my face. I was trapped. 

"If you would kindly take this woman  to one of the...guest rooms, I would be grateful." 

Two men, who were guarding her, came around me. Isaac moved to the side reluctantly, but one look from his boss and he was obedient like a puppy. I looked up at the two men, showing them the terrified expression, but the didn't even pause.  They grabbed me from both sides and started dragging me away from the scene. 

"I can walk..."

I said brokenly. Quietly. 

"Yes, I'm aware. Which is precisely why you won't."

Her snake like tone made my skin itch. The urge to defy her obvious display of power, was the finishing punch. My body was tired. I knew it. So I sagged in those men's arms, making their job of dragging me off, like a sack of potatoes, a little bit harder. Once I was inside the hotel, the warmth overwhelmed me. I felt like puking once again, but decided against it. I needed to be left alone as soon as possible. If they put me in a room, they'll surely put a guard in front of the door. But at least the space inside would be mine, for the time being. 

As we passed the reception, they didn't take me up the stairs. Behind the desk were two doors. A detail I had missed upon my arrival. One of them opened the door as we approached. They pushed me inside. The doors closed with a slam. I heard the rummaging through the keyhole and then the click as it locked. I stood there. Waiting. Listening. Only one pair of feet shuffled away. The room was in complete darkness, so when I looked down, the shadow of two feet moved to the right side. As I guessed, one of them was still here. And the room was anything but soundproof. 

I wiped my face, rummaged through my pants and took out my phone. If there was anyone who could help me in this situation, it would be those two. With careful watch on the door, I opened the group chat. Light tapping filled the room. When I was done, I turned around, letting my eyes get used to the darkness. 

The room had no windows. Two sofas and a coffee table, a dresser and a door which led to the bathroom. There was nothing else. Not even a bed. Crouching down, I took off my boots and safely placed them on the spot where I stood. I tip toed to the dresser and quietly opened each drawer. There was nothing in them except for towels, a set of pajamas and a set of clothes. I went into the bathroom. No windows there either. The room was completely secluded. My only way out was through the locked door. I checked the bathroom. When I determined that there was nothing useful in there, I left the bathroom. 

My eyes fell on the coffee table. As if I knew, I checked one of the seats. It was still warm. Someone was already here. Although there was no other proof, by the dents on the seat and the heat on it, I concluded my guess was right. I looked up at the corners of the room, checked under the table, the dresser, the bathroom once again. No cameras. This room was completely in the dark. It was a prison. 

And a great hiding spot. It wasn't locked when they threw me in. 

I moved to the spot where my boots were, put them back on and positioned myself there. I looked at the door, then at the floor. There were still wet footprints. Two larger sets at the doorstep and one pair that belonged to me. However, there was nothing else. Whoever was in here before me, except for the warm seat, left no clue of their presence. 

I stared at the door again. The hallways were quiet. I couldn't hear anything. Not even shuffling. 

The guard was still there. I knew it. 

No way out. 

I could only wait for whatever fate brought my way. I could only listen for the next sign of another's presence. My eyes traced the peculiar lines on the door, before they slowly closed. 

"Cricket."

I tried my best. I swear, I did.

"Cricket. If you find yourself in such a situation, what do you do?"

I don't know. My mouth was closed shut. My body was shaking. My tiny wrists were hurting from the leather. I was tied to a chair. The room was dark. The man in front of me, I hadn't seen him before. I don't know him. But I know that he's here for my special classes. 

I felt the warmth of the tears spill on my cheeks. It was scary. I wanted out. 

"Answer me!"

He shouted, pacing around like a mad man. His face was red. Whether it was anger or the way his collar hugged his neck, so it was even more puffed up that it already was, I didn't know. He was fat. Overweight. I could hear the way his lungs wheezed as they fought to suck air in. If he didn't have those big intakes of air, he would be fizzing on the floor. 

He shouted again, but this time, his big hands leaned on mine. All his weight was on them. I heard my bones snap. I sobbed. 

"You keep quiet..."

I gritted out through my sobs. 

"That's right Cricket. You keep quiet. You don't tell them anything. You don't speculate, you don't act like a victim, you keep your mouth shut. Either that-"

"-or your head is going to be laying on a plate."

The words came out of my mouth. I opened my eyes and stared at the door once again. The memory of that pig was almost funny to me. But it was such an ironic moment for him to show up. My phone buzzed. I took it out of my pocket. The light blinded me and I squinted. After reading through, I made a decision. 

This was a game I was willing to win in. I wasn't going to let my curiosity kill me. I took off my boots once more and went into the bathroom. I closed the door quietly. Taking the ceramic cup that, I took out the toothbrushes. Placing my phone on the counter of the bathroom, with a few powerful swings, I broke the display of my phone. Then, after taking out the memory card and the card connected to my phone, I placed half of it on the counter again. Holding it with my left hand, I brought the ceramic cup up with my right, and swung down. The phone bent into half. 

You have 15 seconds. 

As quickly as I could, I put the cup back into place. Exiting the bathroom, I opened the lowest drawer and wrapped the broken phone into a shirt. I put it back in, closed the drawer and moved back to my boots.

5 seconds.

I stepped into them, tucking the laces next to my ankles and stood up. 

The door swung open. The guard turned the light on, blinding me in the process. His eyes darted around the room, before finally falling onto my form. I put my arms around me, letting soft trembles rake through my body. My head was down. He stood in silence and looked at the floor. Then he walked to the bathroom and checked inside. After he confirmed that he was only hearing things, he walked out, shutting and locking the door once again. I looked up. My arms fell limp beside me. And finally, I walked to the sofa, making sure my steps were hard on the floor. I sat down in the same spot someone had been previously and leaned back. 

And I waited. 

New messages

Emilia: Got it. I'll look into it.

Stacy: The package will be waiting in the coffee shop across the street. Serial number: 2e8t5cLn

Unknown Time

The flight was anything but pleasant. The stay in that cheap hotel was filled with nightmares and drug induced hallucinations. It took some time before the drugs left my body. It wasn't a nice experience. But it wasn't the worst I've had. That child's screams kept replaying on and on. I couldn't escape from them. Nor its face. It kept haunting me every time I closed my eyes. 

I was sleep deprived. But I wasn't about to give up. Rehab took time. Healing my wounds was top priority right now. I couldn't go to a hospital. I couldn't visit a private doctor either. There would be no trace of this new persona here. This wasn't the city I had my eyes on. But it was a stepping stone. They wouldn't let me on the second plane, so I had no choice but to stay. In fear that I might bleed out during the flight, the security forbade me from passing. p*****s. 

So I stayed. And I enjoyed my time as much as I could. I found a perfect little bakery with a perfect little cafe near it. It's how I spent these weeks. In an out of the hotel room. To eat and drink and buy some groceries. I had no intention to socialize. Neither did I want to have fun like the rest of this town's people. Although there wasn't much to go on to. There were a few night clubs, but the crime activity was very low here. A monster like me couldn't possibly hope to fit in.

People here were too normal. And I had my sights set on a place where I could be free. Where people like me can start a new life. Where I would be able to leave the bloodshed and the nasty memories behind. Where those child's cries won't reach me. Where Analia won't see me. 

They can't go in there. It's not a place for their innocent souls. That place was for people like me. People who've killed, raped, committed terrible, terrible crimes. A place where they had a shot for better or for worse. It was a den of monsters. Its streets were haunted by them. They stalked every corner. Every little hiding spot. It was perfect. I could blend in easily. 

And Analia and that child will finally go back to where they belong. In the skies. Up with their loved ones. Up with all the people I've left bloody and messy. Up with all the people who loved me. Up where the innocent go. 

While they rest in peace, I'll be starting anew in that horrible city. 

My flight leaves in two weeks. 

In two weeks, I'll become a new person.

Avalon City will make me into a new person.